As the American federal government shutdown nears the week mark, there’s been another casualty: a planned surveillance review panel.

The Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, which was announced by President Obama in August, was scheduled to meet last week for the first time. However, according to a recent Politico report, the group did not convene.

“I simply thought that it was inappropriate for our group to continue working while the vast majority of the men and women of the intelligence community are being forced to remain off the job,” Michael Morell, a board member and a former CIA director, told Politico. “While the work we’re doing is important, it is no more important—and quite frankly a lot less important—than a lot of the work being left undone by the government shutdown, both in the intelligence community and outside the intelligence community.”

Politico also quoted an anonymous source noting that the Office of Director of National Intelligence initially determined that the board could continue before later reversing itself. The group has been given deadlines to provide an initial report to Obama within 60 days of beginning its work and to submit a final report due on December 15, 2013.

Similarly, the related Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has been disrupted due to the government shutdown.

Seems reasonable, since this panel is just a PR stunt, where fans of the NSA can get together to come up with excuses for why spying on the American people and repeatedly lying to Congress is ok. My money is on, "OMG TERRORISTS".

A side thought on this: How much work would they have been able to do, given that anyone they wanted to get info/testimony from is likely off work? Given that 60-day deadline, it might well be the right choice to not start working until they can actually do something.

When the NSA collects the metadata, does it do so manually and so those people would be furloughed, or does it use an automated system that can be left running relatively unattended? During the shutdown, is the electricity turned off, which would shutdown any automated systems?

“While the work we’re doing is important, it is no more important—and quite frankly a lot less important—than a lot of the work being left undone by the government shutdown, both in the intelligence community and outside the intelligence community.”

Good you know you think so highly of the panel's mandate, Mr. Morell. Tell you what, why don't you just stay home and we'll find somebody else?

If the oversight, reviews, and other safeguards they've been parading about are real and serious, then it follows that a shut down of some of those safeguards corresponds to an equal shutdown of the surveillance that is no longer being monitored for abuse or having their compliance with the law reviewed.

Or perhaps they are not serious and this panel is only is to soothe nerves and provide a veneer of legitimacy. In any case, the statement that their work is "quite frankly a lot less important" (by a board member, no less!) speaks volumes about their attitude to civil liberties and transparent oversight.

One might wonder if a review board comprised of constitutional academics, jurists, privacy advocates, and technology experts - as opposed to insiders and former cronies - would have done the same.

But what a few others posted before you mentione d- this Panel is a PR stunt ONLY - to sooth critics and say - look there's oversight. So swapping the insider out w/ folks that actually might hve skills to better apply to the situation is meaningless when they have no power anyway.

Unlit half of Congress AND Obama are out of Office and we actually get some Political figures in that give a damn about this country instead of how to line their pockets w/ money and political contacts the NSA (and other Agencies) will continue to do what ever the frakking hell they feel like.

Obama and the whole of Congress are empowering the NSA - without their backing the NSA can't do shit.

“While the work we’re doing is important, it is no more important—and quite frankly a lot less important—than a lot of the work being left undone by the government shutdown, both in the intelligence community and outside the intelligence community.”

Good you know you think so highly of the panel's mandate, Mr. Morell. Tell you what, why don't you just stay home and we'll find somebody else?

Yeah, I find it far more important, so I think he's demonstrating himself as a poor candidate for the job.

“While the work we’re doing is important, it is no more important—and quite frankly a lot less important—than a lot of the work being left undone by the government shutdown, both in the intelligence community and outside the intelligence community.”

Good you know you think so highly of the panel's mandate, Mr. Morell. Tell you what, why don't you just stay home and we'll find somebody else?

Yeah, I find it far more important, so I think he's demonstrating himself as a poor candidate for the job.

You heard it here, folks!

Spying on Americans is more important than ensuring compliance with the law, Constitution, and the entire founding ideals of the United States.

Man, however much you guys like to spin your conspiracy theories or weave your little implications about this panel being conveniently "non-essential" for purposes of the government shutdown, considering that other actually life/safety-important federal government divisions like- National Transit Security Board (e.g. a horrible accident in tennessee recently that the NTSB cannot investigate)- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board- OSHA- many parts of the USDA (including the department that manages food stamps which, you know, prevent people from starving)- EPAare shutdown, it should be no surprise that what is nothing more than a 60-day fact finding mission is also shutdown.

Man, however much you guys like to spin your conspiracy theories or weave your little implications about this panel being conveniently "non-essential" for purposes of the government shutdown, considering that other actually life/safety-important federal government divisions like- National Transit Security Board (e.g. a horrible accident in tennessee recently that the NTSB cannot investigate)- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board- OSHA- many parts of the USDA (including the department that manages food stamps which, you know, prevent people from starving)- EPAare shutdown, it should be no surprise that what is nothing more than a 60-day fact finding mission is also shutdown.

It's not an issue of priority. Having this panel run or not run in no way affects the ability of those services to run or the funding they receive.

The current administration ought to keep anything they are allowed by law to keep open, open. It's the only position consistent with their rhetoric that it's solely the House keeping the government shut. It's the only action consistent with a nonpartisan sense of civic duty.

Man, however much you guys like to spin your conspiracy theories or weave your little implications about this panel being conveniently "non-essential" for purposes of the government shutdown, considering that other actually life/safety-important federal government divisions like- National Transit Security Board (e.g. a horrible accident in tennessee recently that the NTSB cannot investigate)- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board- OSHA- many parts of the USDA (including the department that manages food stamps which, you know, prevent people from starving)- EPAare shutdown, it should be no surprise that what is nothing more than a 60-day fact finding mission is also shutdown.

edit: formattingedit 2: clarifying bullet points

It's not an either/or proposition. Just because your cited examples are shut down doesn't mean that the mandate of this panel is now irrelevant.

Man, however much you guys like to spin your conspiracy theories or weave your little implications about this panel being conveniently "non-essential" for purposes of the government shutdown, considering that other actually life/safety-important federal government divisions like- National Transit Security Board (e.g. a horrible accident in tennessee recently that the NTSB cannot investigate)- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board- OSHA- many parts of the USDA (including the department that manages food stamps which, you know, prevent people from starving)- EPAare shutdown, it should be no surprise that what is nothing more than a 60-day fact finding mission is also shutdown.

edit: formattingedit 2: clarifying bullet points

Let's also not forget the CDC. I'd much rather they stay fully staffed than most of the agencies that were allowed to continue working. If it wasn't so sad it'd be almost funny that due to a political party attempting to block healthcare reform we may miss the start of a horrible outbreak of something. :-/

I don't care how you feel about the health care law shutting down the government is stupid and hurts more people than getting a compromise on the ACA will ever help. It isnt the proper time and if these congressmen and women really thought its what the people wanted they'd attempt to repeal the law through its own bill not hold the country hostage. Sorry thats my rant today.

Man, however much you guys like to spin your conspiracy theories or weave your little implications about this panel being conveniently "non-essential" for purposes of the government shutdown, considering that other actually life/safety-important federal government divisions like- National Transit Security Board (e.g. a horrible accident in tennessee recently that the NTSB cannot investigate)- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board- OSHA- many parts of the USDA (including the department that manages food stamps which, you know, prevent people from starving)- EPAare shutdown, it should be no surprise that what is nothing more than a 60-day fact finding mission is also shutdown.

edit: formattingedit 2: clarifying bullet points

Let's also not forget the CDC. I'd much rather they stay fully staffed than most of the agencies that were allowed to continue working. If it wasn't so sad it'd be almost funny that due to a political party attempting to block healthcare reform we may miss the start of a horrible outbreak of something. :-/

I don't care how you feel about the health care law shutting down the government is stupid and hurts more people than getting a compromise on the ACA will ever help. It isnt the proper time and if these congressmen and women really thought its what the people wanted they'd attempt to repeal the law through its own bill not hold the country hostage. Sorry thats my rant today.

I had to laugh; I've had a nasty cough for almost two weeks with none of the typical symptoms that come along with a cold or the flu.

I also don't have health care since I have been working as a temp employee for 2 years; so the two days I took off went unpaid, plus when I went in to a "Doc in a box" strip mall "clinic" I had to pay $80 out of pocket just to have a (probably uncretified) med student "doctor" look at me for less than 5 min and tell me I should just go take some NyQuil ... that was last Thursday and I am still spastically coughing.

The current administration ought to keep anything they are allowed by law to keep open, open. It's the only position consistent with their rhetoric that it's solely the House keeping the government shut. It's the only action consistent with a nonpartisan sense of civic duty.

Are you not aware that, according to the law, they are only allowed to keep services open that are essential to the protection of human life or otherwise are not possible to postpone without extreme cost?

It's not an issue of priority. Having this panel run or not run in no way affects the ability of those services to run or the funding they receive.

The current administration ought to keep anything they are allowed by law to keep open, open. It's the only position consistent with their rhetoric that it's solely the House keeping the government shut. It's the only action consistent with a nonpartisan sense of civic duty.

It's not an either/or proposition. Just because your cited examples are shut down doesn't mean that the mandate of this panel is now irrelevant.

actually, both of you are misinformed about what is causing this government shutdown. Cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antideficiency_Act. While not listed explicitly in the wikipedia article, you can go and look up the 1950 and 1982 revisions to the act (i believe both were in the form of a minor legal note by someone in the judiciary).

what the federal government chooses to shutdown as "non-essential" is not about political rhetoric and despite what Tallon suggests, it *is* an issue of priority and unlike Nillaz's suggestion, it *is* an either/or proposition. the federal government cannot constitutionally or legally continue to operate without a funding provision; the 1950 note (IIRC) in fact made the government shutdown *completely* (it wasn't even legal or constitutional to voluntarily work for free); this note was later revised to indicate that only the most essential of functions were allowed to continue: mailing social security checks, for example, basically amounts to making good on debt payments and is thus pretty hardcore essential. on the flip side, if even the nuclear safety regulatory division is furloughed as non-essential, i don't think you'll find any legal scholar who will say that a panel whose sole mission is to do a 60-day fact finding is in anyway critical.

I had to laugh; I've had a nasty cough for almost two weeks with none of the typical symptoms that come along with a cold or the flu.

I also don't have health care since I have been working as a temp employee for 2 years; so the two days I took off went unpaid, plus when I went in to a "Doc in a box" strip mall "clinic" I had to pay $80 out of pocket just to have a (probably uncretified) med student "doctor" look at me for less than 5 min and tell me I should just go take some NyQuil ... that was last Thursday and I am still spastically coughing.

I don't see how this relates to the current situation.

Obamacare does not require health care for temps last I heard. And you don't go to the CDC for a cough.

FYI, it may not be the flu. I had a persistent cough that was misdiagnosed by doctors for a year till finally a chest X-ray was done and it turned out to be what they call 'walking pneumonia', which ain't good, but is not bad enough to put you down. If the cough does not go away in 2-3 weeks, it might not be the flu.

I also don't have health care since I have been working as a temp employee for 2 years; so the two days I took off went unpaid, plus when I went in to a "Doc in a box" strip mall "clinic" I had to pay $80 out of pocket just to have a (probably uncretified) med student "doctor" look at me for less than 5 min and tell me I should just go take some NyQuil ... that was last Thursday and I am still spastically coughing.

Don't worry, Obamacare will fix all that. They'll pay for everything. Or, more accurately, force you to buy commercial health insurance that will pay for everything. They may even treat the starvation you suffer from if you don't have money left for food.

off-topic clarification: obamacare requires health care for all, regardless of who you are ("individual mandate"). it just does not strictly require that any given company that you work for to provide it (either amounting to a fine for bigger companies or a specific exclusion for part-time workers).

The "review panel" is absolutely laughable. The fox is watching the other fox that is watching the hen house. I'm sure the surveillance is still going on… and everyone involved is being paid out of that "missing" $2.3 TRILLION.

a) this guy just positively verified that a lot of our intelligence is furloughed (thus no sense in his team investigating)

or

b) this guy is just blowing smoke, and they're using the shutdown as an excuse to delay or hope folks will forget about a possible review of activities

I find it pretty outlandish that they'd let someone verify to the entire world community that our intelligence dept is severely compromised right now due to government stupidity ... ,er, shutdown. So, I have a hard time taking this guy at face-value.

It would be like a rep from a city's police Internal Affairs division telling everyone "we were going to investigate odd police activities, but since most of the police aren't working due to the city stopping funding, we decided it wasn't worth our time." (Criminals look at each other and decide to go on looting spree.)

a) this guy just positively verified that a lot of our intelligence is furloughed (thus no sense in his team investigating)

or

b) this guy is just blowing smoke, and they're using the shutdown as an excuse to delay or hope folks will forget about a possible review of activities

I find it pretty outlandish that they'd let someone verify to the entire world community that our intelligence dept is severely compromised right now due to government stupidity ... ,er, shutdown. So, I have a hard time taking this guy at face-value.

It would be like a rep from a city's police Internal Affairs division telling everyone "we were going to investigate odd police activities, but since most of the police aren't working due to the city stopping funding, we decided it wasn't worth our time." (Criminals look at each other and decide to go on looting spree.)

How stupid can you get?

Well, the NSA is considered "essential" to national security, so they aren't closed down. But apparently making sure that surveillance programs are staying anywhere near legal isn't essential.

“While the work we’re doing is important, it is no more important—and quite frankly a lot less important—than a lot of the work being left undone by the government shutdown, both in the intelligence community and outside the intelligence community.”

Good you know you think so highly of the panel's mandate, Mr. Morell. Tell you what, why don't you just stay home and we'll find somebody else?

A propular well-arounded nice guy police sergeant got himself promoted to lieutenant after he had served 3 years as an Internal Affair. You all know what the Internal Affairs do, right? The police chief liked his attitude and for that reason he was a nice guy the chief appointed him the job as an IA so the chief could promoted him to a higher rank after he had finished with the IA. What happened later was that a well-arounded nice guy sergeant who all the sudden found himself stand all alone with everyone staying the hell away and kept a distance from him.

Like that sergeant, Michael Morell, a board member and a former CIA director was about facing the same situation as sergeant nice guy. Maybe he already had. He would also be found himself stand all alone with no friends and this, he knew what's about coming to him too. All the respects he had from the employees at the CIA and NSA during his era with the department is vanished.

<sighs> So don't be so hard on Michael Morell if you understand his position. Do you really think he need the money and the headache?

"Hey, I don't mind the job, so Obama please, give it to me, I do it. I kick asses. I don't give a f*ck to anyone. I promised. I guaranteed a kickasses." :-)

The way I understood surveillance review panel is no different than the police Internal Affair. Excepted the guy is facing someone and some groups that are more powerful than the cops at the police departments.

Another thing, as someone have already pointed out, his job should be considered national security and should not be affected by the government shutdown, but I don't think the guy wanted the job anyway. Now you know.

I'm a little bothered by dismissing this review as not as important as other ongoing work. This review should be the cornerstone of a serious consideration of the NSA's ongoing mandate. Whether you agree or disagree with current administration policies, this review is important. Essential, even.

It may not be as vital as the particulars of any single ongoing operation, but it should be just as important as the other parts taken as a whole.

“I simply thought that it was inappropriate for our group to continue working while the vast majority of the men and women of the intelligence community are being forced to remain off the job”

It is inappropriate to be derelict of your duty just because others are furloughed, although I question whether or not you would be at all effective at protecting my rights anyways.

Those "oversight" groups sound like nothing more than institutionalized CYA. How can you seriously have a bunch of people from the government keep tabs on the people from the government and call it oversight?